Help with a 10 gallon, 3 gallon, and surprise ADFs

[owl7]

Hello all,

I've been using this site for the past several months as I get back into fish keeping and it's been a tremendous help! Thank you everyone! Now I have a dilemma and could really use your help, hence my first post.

I currently have a cycled, planted 3 gallon tank (Marineland Eclipse variety) with a single male betta and two otos in it that has been running for a few months now. They seem pretty happy and the water parameters are good (no ammonia or nitrates,). I'll post more detailed parameters later tonight after dinner.

I just bought a 10 gallon tank that is currently set up with Ecocomplete and several freshwater plants and is in the process of cycling. I am going to put some cherry shrimp in there (a friend is going to give me about 10 of them) and was hoping to put a dwarf gourami along with a number of schooling fish (rasboras or tetras, etc.) in as I've seen suggested on this forum.

My problem is that yesterday another friend gave me his two ADFs in a 1 gallon tank! He didn't want them anymore. I don't know what to do with them. I know the 1 gallon is too small for them to live happily and am not sure where to place them. I could put them in the 3 gallon with the otos and betta (the betta is calm), but I worry that is overstocking the tank. I could put them in the 10 gallon, but I worry they won't get along with the eventual gourami + other fish I want to get (and potentially eating the shrimp) and then that tank will be overstocked too!

The only thing I'm really set on is the gourami and cherry shrimp in the 10 gal. I don't mind where the ADFs go and could give up the school of fish if it will be better for the new mini ecosystem!

What should I do? Your advice is greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, buying another tank is not an option.

Thanks much!

 

[tyspot1000]

Welcome to AA!

I would recommend getting another tank for them; They do better in species only tank, but..... they can do just fine if cared for right and have the right tank-mates.

I would just keep them out of the 3 gallon. Adding them would only bring up the bio-load which I would say is the max as it is.

One thing: I personally dont think a dwarf gourami should go in a 10 gallon. They are a bit moody and putting them in a small tank will not help.

Really if I were you, I would just make the 10 gallon a tank with ADF's and Cherry shrimp only. It will be much easier having them only in the tank (As far as competing for food and compatibility issues <- With tank-mates).

In the mean time of you ten gallon cycling (Waiting to add the ADF's), Make sure to do a PWC on the 1 gallon tank once a day (This will keep the ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte enough for them to survive).

Hope this helped
Enjoy the forum

 

[Morgie]

dwarf gouramis can be a little moody, especially when their space is invaded, and prefer to patrol the lower-middle levels of the tank. Maybe consider another type of gourami? I had a pearl gourami in a 10 gallon that did fine. I've never had an ADF, but just be SURE that they really are ADFs, I had an ACF and they can get monstrous.
If the front feet are webbed then you've got ADFs. I would suggest either getting a top swimming, small gourami or another mid-top swimming colorful fish that would be fine being solo and then just having the shrimp and frogs as companions. Hope this helped!

 

[owl7]

Thank you for your responses!

I'm a little hesitant to go with the plan of just shrimp + ADFs considering the fact that I bought the 10 gallon with the express intent of having a little school of small fish + 1 central gourami. The ADFs are sort of an unexpected problem. :-/ I am positive they are in fact ADFs and not ACFs, I have done a considerable amount of reading on them recently and have inspected them closely.

I'm a little surprised, I hadn't heard about dwarfs being moody, just that they sometimes don't react well to others of their species. I had read on this forum + other aquarium sites that the dwarfs are good choices for the 10 gallon since they stay small (like 2 inches) and will be ok with small tankmates. Don't pearl gouramis get bigger (4 in) and require at least a 30 gallon? I had my heart set on the striped neon blue gouramis, they are so pretty!

If I were to have a few cherry shrimp, two ADFs, and a gourami would I still be able to put other fish into the 10 gallon or is that pushing it? Would just the shrimp/ADFs/gourami be ok? The 10 gallon has plenty of hiding places, it has a couple small pots to hide in and a dwarf baby tears carpet + a bunch of bigger plants.

Alternatively, how about I put the two ADFs in the 3 gall tank with the 2 otos and remove the betta? He could live in the 1 gall. I'm pretty good about water changes (I usually change at least 30% of my tank water every two days), so do you think it would be ok?


Also, water parameters right now.

3 gallon tank (2 otos + 1 betta)
0 ppm nitrates
0 ppm ammonia
7.6 pH (which I realize is a little high, my tap water is extremely basic)

10 gallon tank (plants!)
0 ppm nitrates
.25 ppm ammonia
7.6 pH

Thank you!!

 

[owl7]

Or, though it would make me sad, I could put the ADFs and betta in the 3 gallon and give the otos away to the same friend who gave me the ADFs. He's got a 30 gallon community tank (frogs weren't getting enough to eat in the big tank).

Hmm...or the otos in the 10 gall with some of the other potential fish maybe? Though I guess they would be competing with cherry shrimp for the bottom / algae.

 

[tyspot1000]

I'm a little surprised, I hadn't heard about dwarfs being moody, just that they sometimes don't react well to others of their species. I had read on this forum + other aquarium sites that the dwarfs are good choices for the 10 gallon since they stay small (like 2 inches) and will be ok with small tankmates. Don't pearl gouramis get bigger (4 in) and require at least a 30 gallon? I had my heart set on the striped neon blue gouramis, they are so pretty!

You are correct, pearls can get around 4-5 inches and need at least a 30 gallon fish tank.

If I were to have a few cherry shrimp, two ADFs, and a gourami would I still be able to put other fish into the 10 gallon or is that pushing it? Would just the shrimp/ADFs/gourami be ok? The 10 gallon has plenty of hiding places, it has a couple small pots to hide in and a dwarf baby tears carpet + a bunch of bigger plants.

I would leave it as the Shrimp, Frogs and Gouarmi. I still highly recommend to not get the Dwarf, but that doesn't mean you cant do it (Make sure to have a back-up plan if it doesn't work out). You could go with an alternative to the DG, Instead, you could do a honey gourami (They only get around 2 inches).

Alternatively, how about I put the two ADFs in the 3 gall tank with the 2 otos and remove the betta? He could live in the 1 gall. I'm pretty good about water changes (I usually change at least 30% of my tank water every two days), so do you think it would be ok?

I would just stick with the 10 gallon plan. A single ADF needs at least 2.5 gallons by itself. Putting two of them and two otos would be pushing it.

Oh, just a heads up with the ADF, make sure to feed it the right thing (Either Tadpole/frog pellets or Frozen bloodworms. Nothing Freeze dried or hard)

Your Ph seems just fine, Not really high at all.

 

[jenatron]

Ty seems to have the stocking area down, so may I ask why you're not testing nitrItes? And what kind of test kit you have? NitrItes are just as important to test as ammonia.

 

[owl7]

The frogs are currently eating bloodworms and brine shrimp. Unfortunately they are freeze dried since I don't have a freezer (I live in a dorm, which is also the reason why my tank choices are limited). I soak the food in some tank water in a petri dish before I give it to them. I also bought them some Instant Ocean gel brine shrimp, but they ignore it.

Glad to hear my pH is fine. I know nitrites are important--I lost my test thing last week. New one is in the mail. I have the API Freshwater Master test kit from amazon: Amazon.com: Freshwater Master Test Kit: Kitchen & Dining.

Ty, thanks for your stocking suggestions. The honey gourami is also quite lovely.

 

[jenatron]

Okay thats good. Just making sure.